Question: Will my parents’ long term care insurance policies pay for day care for my father. Mom is the primary caregiver and needs this “time off” from dad in order not to become totally exhausted. Please advise.
Answer: Without seeing your parent’s specific policy, it is impossible to know what is or is not covered. Some policies only offer payment for specific services such as a non-medical caregiver in the home, a Geriatric Care Manager or the monthly cost for a facility. In addition, many companies sell riders to the basic policy to cover additional types of services beyond what the basic policy covers. Some of the newer policies pay a flat amount of money each month and allow the insured to determine how the money is spent. I recommend you review your parent’s insurance policy to determine the specific benefits allowed to them under their policy. It may also be helpful to talk with the care insurance company directly to ensure you are taking full advantage of the benefits they are entitled to receive.
You can locate elder care professionals near you who can help you with these types of elder care matters by searching ElderCareMatters.com – America’s National Directory of Elder Care / Senior Care Resources for Families.
Heather Frenette, RN, MSN, CMC
Certified Care Manager
Desert Care Management
Premium Member of the national ElderCare Matters Alliance, Arizona chapter